Method and system for producing gluten-free oats

Abstract

A method and system for removing foreign grains from oat grains to establish gluten-free oats, i.e., oat grains having gluten levels below 20 ppm and, more preferably, below 10 ppm relies upon performing a series of differentiation operations on a combination of grains, including oats and foreign, or gluten containing, grains, followed by a re-shaping operation to compress the oat grains but not the foreign grains. Thereafter, the compressed oat grains are separated from the foreign grains to establish the gluten-free oats. The resulting oats can be used to make a wide range of gluten-free oat food products, including cereal and granola products.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A method of producing gluten-free oats from a combination of grains comprising:
 performing a series of differentiation operations on the combination of grains to establish an initially processed combination of grains; 
 working the initially processed combination of grains to establish compressed oat grains; and 
 separating the compressed oat grains from other grains of the initially processed combination of grains to establish gluten-free oats. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein performing the series of differentiation operations includes conducting cleaning and sizing operations on the combination of grains. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 2 , wherein the series of differentiation operations includes de-hulling the oat grains in the combination of grains. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 2 , wherein performing the series of differentiation operations reduces a percentage of the other grains to less than approximately 0.035% by weight versus the oat grains. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 2 , wherein the series of differentiation operations constitutes mechanical operations selected from the group consisting of aspiration, width grading, length grading, density separation, de-hulling and combinations thereof. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1 , wherein working the initially processed combination of grains establishes the compressed oat grains which are thinner than the other grains of the combination of grains. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 6 , wherein working the initially processed combination of grains includes directing the combination of grains through compression rollers. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 7 , wherein the compression rollers include at least one elastomeric roller which contributes in establishing the compressed oat grains while retaining a shape of the other grains. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 7 , wherein the oat grains are reduced in thickness by at least 0.020 of an inch by being directed through the compression rollers. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 1 , wherein separating the compressed oat grains includes grade separating the oat grains from the other grains. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising: conditioning the oat grains immediately after separation to minimize oxygen exposure. 
     
     
       12. A method of producing gluten-free oats from a combination of grains comprising:
 performing a series of differentiation operations on the combination of grains, including oat grains and foreign grains, to establish an initially processed combination of grains; 
 working the initially processed combination of grains to re-shape the oat grains while not re-shaping the foreign grains; and 
 separating the oat grains from the foreign grains to establish gluten-free oats. 
 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 12 , wherein working the initially processed combination of grains to re-shape the oat grains constitutes flattening the oat grains.